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Hospital Cuts Create Uncertain Future For Nurses

(INDIANAPOLIS) - Nurses and those preparing to enter the profession are being forced increasingly to shift their job focus as hospitals slash positions amid declining admissions and revenue.

The Indianapolis Star reports IU Health, St. Vincent Health and Franciscan Alliance have cut nearly 2,000 jobs this year. About a fourth of those have been in nursing.

More than 41,000 health-care jobs have been cut nationally this year.

The changes are a seismic shift for a profession long considered recession-proof. Nurses are now often looking outside hospitals for jobs that come with lower wages.

Nursing advocates say demand for nurses should rebound as the current generation retires and demand for care rises as Americans age and the Affordable Care Act brings millions more people into the health-care system.

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